The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confiscated banned, expired, and unregistered products valued at over N1.5 billion in a major enforcement operation at the cosmetics section of Lagos Trade Fair market, as part of its intensified crackdown on unsafe consumer goods.
The operation, carried out on Saturday, also led to the interception of a truckload of counterfeit items regulated by the agency.
The raid was led by Dr. Martins Iluyomade, Director of Investigation and Enforcement, who confirmed that the confiscated goods included banned imports, expired products, and items that had bypassed NAFDAC’s regulatory protocols.
“We’ve received numerous complaints from Nigerians about unsafe products. This operation is part of our ongoing nationwide effort to protect public health by removing such harmful items from circulation,” Iluyomade told journalists.
Iluyomade emphasized that NAFDAC employs a two-step inspection process to determine product safety—starting with visual checks for proper labeling and packaging, followed by laboratory analysis to detect harmful chemicals.
“Some products look normal to the eye but contain toxic or carcinogenic substances. This is a serious public health and national security concern,” he said.
Iluyomade warned that contaminated food, drugs, and skincare items could be used as silent weapons against public safety, urging Nigerians to take the issue of product quality seriously.
“One way to harm people silently is through unsafe food or cosmetic products. That’s why we must intensify oversight.”
While acknowledging the importance of trade and commerce, the NAFDAC director stated that consumer safety takes precedence over business interests.
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“Our mission is not anti-business. It is to ensure that both consumers and honest business owners are protected.”
The operation highlights the widespread problem of counterfeit and substandard goods in Nigeria’s open markets—a challenge made more complex by the sheer size of the informal trade sector and weak enforcement in some areas.
NAFDAC says it will continue nationwide enforcement raids and has vowed that traders who bypass safety regulations or fail to register products properly will face legal consequences.
“All imported and locally produced goods must comply with NAFDAC standards before they can be distributed. Violators will be held accountable,” Iluyomade stated.
The agency has called on Nigerians to remain vigilant, avoid unregulated products, and report suspicious items. Saturday’s raid is one of the largest seizures in recent months and signals NAFDAC’s resolve to clamp down on unsafe consumer products in the interest of public health.